Book reviews

Scholars have long known about the great bulk of Cotton Mather’s obsessively encyclopedic work that combined elements of a biblical commentary with a Bible dictionary and a commonplace book of extracts from scriptural authorities. However, Mather’s failure to find a printer willing to take on his mammoth manuscript made this work generally inaccessible. Now, in a marvel of editorial diligence from Reiner Smolinski, comes the publication of the first of ten projected volumes of Mather’s Biblia Americana (BA), a meticulously edited and annotated volume and a revealing window into the mind of an extraordinary individual. It includes a monograph-length introduction, Mather’s preliminary chronologies, and his full-scale treatment of the Book of Genesis. This publication represents another step in the rehabilitation of Mather’s reputation that began with measured treatments by Robert Middlekauff (The Mathers, 1971), Richard Lovelace (The American Pietism of Cotton Mather, 1979), and Kenneth Silverman (The Life and Times of Cotton Mather, 1984). It also received a scholarly boost from Winton Solberg’s careful edition of Mather’s physicotheology, The Christian Philosopher (1994; original, 1721), and, most recently, from a solid colloquium by the promoters of the BA project (Reiner Smolinski and Jan Stievermann, eds., Cotton Mather and “Biblia Americana”—America’s First Bible Commentary: Essays in Reappraisal [Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2010 / Grand Rapids: Baker, 2011]). Yet this cavalcade of scholarship does not, and does not pretend, to completely efface the image of Mather offered by Perry Miller in The New England Mind: From Colony to Province (1953), and many lesser authorities, of a neurotically uptight, ambitious provincial, guilty of promoting the Salem witch hysteria, fixated on his own intellectual achievements, and desperate for recognition from his

confiderably in favour of the new medicine ; although impartiality obliges us to obferve, that there exifts fome difagreement in the evidence, refpe?ting the fenfible changes in the patients, on whom thefe remedies were tried with fuccefs. Such difcordance, however, is not a novel phenomenon in the pra&ice of medicine; and, confidering the precipitate manner in which new remedies are generally adminiftered; the want of proper attention to the peculiar habits, conftitutions, and predifpofing caufes, and other concomitant circumftances of the patient?imperfections not feldom obfervable among a certain clafs of pra&itioners, (fuch, efpecially, as have too many inveterate cafes under their cait at one time) \ we have reafon, confidering thefe circumftances, to be highly fatisfied with the reports of the inejfcacy of the acid, as indicated by certain fuperficial writers.
Indeed, the account given by Dr. Currie is fo fatisfa&ory and conclusive, that a few extra&s from the mafterly and judicious letter* of that excellent phyfician will, we lhould imagine, be deemed fufficient to confirm the favourable ?Seepage 125 x 36 of Dr. BeildoesV Collesticn Beaches on the Treatment of Lues by Nitrous Acid.
I ox favourable opinion almoft generally entertained on this valuable acceffion to the flock of the Materia "Medica.?We have no intention, however, to take any particular notice here of the lingular controverfy now iubfiiting on that fubjeft.? " The encouragement arifing from the three cafes J juft mentioned, led mc to try the nitric acid in a variety of other cafes. In fome of thefe, my fuccefe has-' apparently been complete; in others, there has been evident benefit, without a perfeft cure; and in others, it has feemed to fail entirely. It is not a little curious, that in fome of the cafes in which I have fucceeded, the fymptoms were what are called fecondary, and the difeafe in its mofi rootei and objlinate ft ate" The uncommon fuccefs with which the ufe of this acid was attended in another patient of Dr. Currie's, named Ekins, claims farther and particular notice.?cc We prefcribed (fays the Doftor) the nitrous acid, and his fufferings abated from the third day; and being continued, the thickening of the pericranium and the node of the tibia entirely difappeared, with all his other fymptoms. He took the nitrous acid, in all, to the quantity of eight ounces, in eight gallons of water, which he drank in fixty days. " Elkins has been nearly a year difcharged, and has never had any return of his complaints. This cafe has made fome noife, and I have endeavoured to attract the attention of feveral of my brethren to it, as decifive of the influence of the acid in this deftruttive difeafe. " In the quantities in which I have prefcribed the nitric acid, it has been uniformly falutary to the conftitution ; in this jelpeft, its aftion contrafting very happily with that of mercury. " I have experienced the effects of the nitric acid in complaints of the ftomach, hypochondriacs, afthma, and fome other difeafes, as well as in the hepatitis." The fecond divifion of Dr. Beddoes's Collection, contains Obfervations on the cafes publijbed by Mr. Blair, in a pamphlet, intitled, " Ejays on the yenereal Dtfeafe, and its concomitant AjfeSions, illufiratcd by a Variety of Cafes. Ejfay I. Part I. &c,"?In this fe&ion we find fome ievere ftrittures, I. on the " twenty-three experiments with the acid of nitre, the citric acid, and the oxygenated muriate of potafh, in primary fymptoms 2. " on twenty-fix cafes of confirmed fyphilis, wherein the acid of nitre was exhibitedand, 3. on " eleven trials with the oxygenated muriate of potafh, in advanced ftages of the lues venerea." In all of thefe, the author's decided oppofition to the new remedies, and his invincible predileftion for vet us amicus mercury is fo very confpicuous, that his conduct, on thefe occafions, requires no further comment or notice from us.
In the third and laft divifion of this work, Dr. Beddoes furnifhes us with his own " Remarks on various Queflions that have arifen during the Invefllegation of the antijyphilitic Virtues of the Nitrous Acid.'" Thefe remarks are prefaced with extracts from the British Critic, and the Medical ^-hv 1 ew, relative to the above mentioned ' Efjaf of Mr. Blair's, and of which we lhall only fay, they are in one Jirain, and perfectly in character!?As We have already declined entering into the merits of the controverfy, relative to the real or pretended effefts of the nitric acid, we fhall only add here, Cafes of the Diabetes Mellitus ; with the Refit Its of the Trials of certain Acids andcther Subjiances in the Care of the Lues Venerea: By John Rollo, M. D. Surgeon-General, Royal Artillery. Second Edition, with large Additions. London. Diily. To diffufe the knowledge of the new method of treating the diabetes, and to place this publication within the reach of a greater number of readers, the learned author has been induced to compfefs the prefent edition into one volume.
in the preface, we meet with two interefting letters from Ch is holm, from the feccnd of which we lhall extract the following paffage : *<? The nitrous acid is a moil fafe and efficacious remedy in hepatic complaints of old (landing, in all ?venereal objtruilions, and difeaies depending upon them/' This valuable work is divided into two parts : the firft: contains " Cafes cf the Diabetes Mellitus, with a general view of the nature of the difeafe and its appropriate treatment ; including a concife review of-what has been written ssn the JubjeSl j an anfwer to Jbme objections urged ugainji the doctrine we have delivered ; and chemical experiments on urine and f igar." p. 17?477.
In thisextenfive range of inveftigation, we find much curious and interefling matter, particularly in the very judicious and accurate chemical experiments, inftituted to illuftrate this iubjedl; and Dr. Rollo concludes this part with the following refult: " 1. That fugar confifts of carbone, hydrogene, and oxygene ; and may be confidered as a pure vegetable oxyde; 2d. That fugar of milk is compofed of the fame principle, but contains more oxygene, and confiderably lefs charcoal; 3d. That gum differs from fugar, in containing, befidescarbone, hydrogene and oxygene, both lime and azote; ^th.That vegetable farina cannot be converted into laccharine matter, without the joint aftion of oxygene and water, the firft of which appears to be abforbed, and the lart decompofed during this procefs; 5th. That when fugar is deprived of its oxygene, or combined with other fubftances, it lofes its charafteriitic properties, and is no longer fufceptible of the vinous fermentation; 6th. That neither vegetable nor animal mucilages, in their pure fcate, are fufceptible of this procefs.
" From a review of the whole , the propriety of the different medicines which have been employed in diabetes, mull be obvious, more particularly the pure alkalies, lime-water, and the different fulphurates, all of which mull counteract the formation cf faccharine matter in the llomach.?We alfo readily fee the neceffity of a diet, confifting entirely of animal food, being the only one which does not furnilh oxygene, and that peculiar but fimple combination of carbone and hydrogene, conllituting the bafis of fugar, and without which it cannot be produced." The fecund Part of this truly pra&ical work prefents us with " Tb? Refults on the trials of various acids, and fine other fubjiances in the treatment of the lues venerea: by William Cruickshanic, and other Surgeons of the Artillery." p. 481 ?625.?To this part the author has fubjoined ?jl new chaptcr, in which he gives a correal and circumltanttal narrative of Ratio's Cafes of the Diabetes lileWtus. IOJ of the trials made by Dr. Wjttm an ; a table containing a lift of the patients affli?led with the venereal difeafe, " who have been treated in the Royal Artillery Hofpita! at Woolwich, by the new remediesand Tome additional remarks on the eftefts of the nitrous acid, the oxygenated muriate of pot-afh, &c. in the lues venerea, by Mr. Cruickshan-k.? From thefe lalt, we Hiall feledl the following pertinent and conclufive paffages: ** Eighteen months have now elapfed fince the firft cafes treated by thefe remedies have been cured ; and of the firft feventcen, which were *nore immediately under our own management, not on: has relapfed, nor bane (be fecondary Jymptoms made their appearance in a Jingle mjtance. Tliat the difeafe has been completely eradicated, can therefore admit of no doubt.-?In our firll trials, we confined ourfelves, in a great meafure, to primary affections; but for fome time pall: no diftin?tion has been made, and the fecondary as well as the primary fymptoms have been all treated on the fame plan. " The total number which have now been cured in the Hofpital, fince the beginning of March, 1797, amounts to 155, as will appear from the table; of thefe 13 had the fecondary fymptoms of the difeafe. This fmall number of fecondary cafes proves, in a great meafure, the certainty and efficacy of this mode of treatment ; for, as Dr. Wittman employed thefe remedies in all venereal affe&ions, whatever their nature might be, had the cures not been perfedt, the fecondary difeafe mult have been very common; befides, of the 13, three only could be afcribed to this cafe, and thefe were all afterwards cured by the oxygenated muriate of pot-alh. Of the remaining ten. 4 appeared to be the natural confequence and progrefs of the difeafe, and fix followed a courie of mercury. '? P. 619, 620. <c Of the different remedies employed, we formerly gave the preference to the oxygenated muriate of pot-a{h, * and we are now more convinced of its fuperiority ; for there have been many cafes where it has fucceeded much better than the nitrous acid." P. 624. " We do not prefume to account for the numerous failures which have teen recorded, but fufpeft that they are to be afcribed either to fome irregularity or impropriety in the adminifiration of the remedies, or to a want 0} perfiDcrance and Jleadinefs in the practitioner or patient. It is alfo proper to remark, that in thefe failures, the remedies were too feldom varied, fo that when one did not anfwer immediately, it was dropped,'and mercury had recourfe to. Now we are confident, that much of our uniform fuccefs has been owing to the method, which was very early adopted, of changing the preparation, whenever it feemed to produce no further effect on the difeafe or conltitution. In this way, a number of cures were quickly obtained by the oxvgenated muriate of pot-afh, &c. where the nitrous acid, &c. had not fo immediately fucceeded." EJfai * Mr. Crukkfnank iudicioufiy varied the proportion, as well as the combination cf th.3 fubftance with calomel, See. in different patients. Thus he diredted according o ^ e_ ?" pumiljnccs of the cafe, and the greater or lefs degree of feverity manifefte y ic 1 ci m the conftitution of the patient, from 10 to 15 grains of the oxygenated muriate ot pot -aih, four tin.es a day ; with or tiithut the addition ot calomel, from one \ g> daily?befides which he dirrfted the l'aturnine lotion to be applied mth'J -> Squired this external aid ; and his fuecefs has been fuch as might ha\c b^en raUoni ?, ?*pe^;d (Vuiutlie faentifi: and cautious prcfcribsr of tbsfc wined*c?. Liv.) Paris. Croullebois.
The principles here laid down are ftated with precifion, and throw' new light on this branch of human maladies. The character of fevers is confidered under their different appearance, and the relative value of febrifuges afcertained. Bark itfelf, fo juftly confidered as the bell: febrifuge we know, but which, is every day ufed in too empirical a manner, is here reduced to practical rules, fuch as to make its exhibition more fafe, and its. fuccefs more certain. The Author happily reconciles the chemical aftion of this medicine with its moll fenfible effetts in the animal economy, and thence deduces practical rules for applying it with advantage.
Memoirs refpeciing the Cure of a contagious Typhous Fever lately prevalent inTufcany. Pifa. 1798. The method which the Author has fuccefsfully pra&ifed in that diforder is the fubjeit of this memoir. The regimen he recommends, confifts in cordials, rich foups and broths, with toailed bread, in frnall quantities, but often repeated ; muftard to be added three or four times a day; that fubfence being, according to Callitzen, preferable in this cafe to the bark. The ordinary beverage Ihould be generous wine, in fmall quantities, to be progreflively increafed, adding three or four times in the day the cardiac confe&ion of the Edinburgh Pharmacopeia ; at night a fudorilic bolus, with ten or twelve drops of laudanum in a glafs of good wine; this dofe alfo to be gradually increafed. Friftion of the vertebrae, and likewife ot the extremities, with the palm of the hand, applying the volatile liniment of the London Pharmacopoeia; a frequent renovation of pure air, and fprinkling the fick chamber with vinegar, are recommended; and to abftain as much as poffible from the ufe of evacuating and debilitating remedies.?
The Peruvian bark Dr. Polidori has uniformly found ufelefs, and often hurtful; but he has not explained the caufes which could have produced fo lingular an effect. In another part of his differtation he informs us, that he has not employed bliiters; being apprehenfive of too much evacuation. With every refpe?t for the abilities of the Author, we cannot confider this afiertion as accurate or fcientiiic. The experience we have had of the operation of this remedy, does not permit us to entertain a doubt, that it sRs as an immediate Itimulus, and as fuch. Dr. Polidori might have pre* fcribed it with fafety, and probably with benefit to his patients.
This is a work of great merit, and will form a valuable addition to a medical library. Among its important contents, are differtations on ofsification 5 v 011 the lymph, cancer, gout, the organs of fight; Mifs Stephens' medicine for diffolving the ftone in the bladder; on perfons born deaf and dumb ; a number of details and obfervations on gravidity and delivery i 011 gun-lhot wounds in the lungs ; on cancer ; on the uterine polypus; on the prolapfus uteri, and other objedts deferving the attention of the medical inquirer. It concludes with a Ihort treatife on venereal diforders.

Dobfon.
After having furnifhed an accurate account of the weather and difeafes which occurred during part of the year 1795, and the whole of the year j 796; commented upon the fuppofed connexion between peftilential epidemics and the occurrence of earthquakes, the eruptions of volcanos, the appearance of comets, meteors, &c.; and (ketched a continued analyfts of the feather and difeafes, from the clofe of his former work on this fubje?t, to the beginning of the epidemic which appeared in 1797, the learned author proceeds to inform us, that no premonitory fymptom was obferved, except the tooth-ach, which obvioufly and remarkably preceded the attack of the fever in feveral cafes.
The Doctor next enters into a detail of the fymptoms of the Yellow Fever, as they appeared in the blood-veflels, in the excretions, in the nervous fyftem, in the fenfes, in the lymphatic fyftem, in the fkin, and in the blood. Many interefting and valuable obfervations occur here ; but the mode of treatment, in general, does not appear to have been. very different from that purfued in the epidemics of 1793 and 1794.
Mercury adminiftered to fuch extent as to produce ptyalifm, was not a little depended upon; and the author loft only two patients in whom this effect was not produced. After fome curfory remarks on the " Caufes of Bilious Fevers," and on the diffufion of " febrile mialmata through the air," Dr. Currie entersi into a more minute difcuffion of the two following interefting queftions: " 1. Is the Bilious Fever, or any other variety of the Remitting Fever, occafioned by marfh-miafmata, or the exhalations from putrid or putrifying vegetables, ever cantagious ? This author is one of thofe who undertake to analyfe and indicate the precifeftate of the atmofphere neceffary to produce the Yellow Fever, with other difeafes of a fimilar nature and type. , His general principle is, that this fever is produced by heat and a deficiency of oxygenous air, or, as he terms it, " animal -vital air;" or a furcharge of azotic, or ? -vegetable vital air." He confiders the atmofphere as being principally a chemical compound of thefe two airs, and " when any portion of atmofpheric air comes in contadl with any fubftance that has a greater affinity with either of its component parts, than thefe parts have for each other, a decompofition of this portion takes place, and a new union is formed." Proceedings of the College of Phyfcians of Philadelphia, relative to the Prevention of the Introduction and fpreading of contagious Difeafes.
This little pamphlet comprifes all the proceedings of the College, in refpeft to the importation of difeafes, from Aug. 1793 to Aug. 1797, in a very convenient form ; and moreover exhibits the moll eflential parts of the various medical difcuffions which have taken place on this fubjeft, fmce the firit mentioned period, when the Yellow Fever broke out in Philadelphia.
An Inaugural DiJJertation on Cynanche Trachealis, commonly called Croup cr Hives. By John Archer, Jun. Philadelphia. 8vo. 46 pp. 1798. Way and Groff. The difcovery of a remedy for fo violent a difeafe, certainly merits to be circulated in the medical world, by the earliell: and moll extenfive channels of communication. The author contends that the feneka root does not operate a cure, merely from its emetic and diaphoretic properties, as he has in fome inftances feen it produce a complete cure, without having had any effeft as an emetic, diaphoretic, or cathartic. " Does it not then (he alks) cure cynanche trachealis chiefly by adling as a loculJlimulant ?"?" I would not," he adds, " give an ounce of feneka as a chance in the cure of croup, for all the emetic tartar, mercury, and cci7itharides in the United States." . As we have already, under the head < Medical and Phyfical Intelligence P-83, given a particular account of Dr. Archer's method of treating this malignant difeafe, we refer the reader to that ufeful and practical information.